Katherine Webb was involved in a dramatic comeback in Tuesday night’s episode of “Splash,” but there was a catch: It wasn’t hers. The Alabama beauty queen’s run has come to an end on the ABC celebrity diving show.

Webb, an Auburn grad who’s a former Miss Alabama USA and the girlfriend of Crimson Tide Quarterback AJ McCarron, had been a fan favorite. She’d performed unevenly but credibly, hanging in as four fellow competitors quit or were eliminated. But in a training montage near the beginning of the show’s latest episode, it was clear things weren’t going her way: Webb was shown making a series of terrible practice dives and generally experiencing severe frustration.

Before making her competitive dive in Tuesday’s episode, she revealed that a bad landing shown the previous week had left her suffering from back pain. “I went to the doctor and unfortunately he told me I’m out for the competition,” she said. And as quickly as that, she was gone, to the dismay of some fans chiming in via twitter.

@_katherinewebb NOOO!!! I'm gonna miss you on #Splash It's the only reason I watch! I know how spinal injuries are! I'll be praying for u!!!

Co-host Joey Lawrence then explained that the “Splash” rules – a concept he referenced with a perfectly straight face – decreed that in such a case the competitor most recently eliminated would re-enter the competition. This brought back 400-pound comedian Louie Anderson, to the delight of many viewers. Aside from providing some comic relief, Anderson has also been an inspiration to some.

The night’s challenge required all competitors to jump or dive from the 10-meter platform. Anderson did a simple, feet-first jump. Looking at a replay, he said, “Amazing. That’s the bravest thing I ever did.”

The judges were similarly impressed. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have super-Louie in front of us,” said David Boudia, handing out a 7.5. Said Steve Foley: “That’s probably a world record. I don’t know of any 400-pound person that’s ever gone off the 10-meter platform.” Anderson corrected him, saying it was now 399 pounds, but accepted his 7 for an average of 7.25.

I love @louieanderson on #Splash. Seriously. Nothing but respect. So proud of him for his courage in doing this. The weight loss is a bonus!

So far, so good but more drama was ahead. Though not from the next diver, actor and musician Drake Bell, who did a nice handstand dive and got an average score of 7.75. He was safe for the night, a relief to his admirers.

But next came soccer star Brandi Chastain, who over-rotated at the end of her flip for a landing that was almost a full-on back flop. She got an average of 4.75. The inconsistency of the “Splash” judging has consistently been a point of controversy, which flared once again. While Chastain’s dive was far from perfect, it also was much more technically challenging than Anderson’s jump.

Basketball Kareem Abdul-Jabbar provided more drama. First he fretted about the danger to a man of his age and his size: “The fear of landing wrong is what scares me,” he said during practice. “I feel like I’m going to break my nose on the bottom of the pool.”

#splash 10 meter is nothing to Kareem. He can sit on the platform and stick his toes in the water. #kareem

He made the dive, but when he came back to the surface, it was evident he was in distress. He struggled to reach the side of the pool and needed help getting out. Then, in a classic cliffhanger, the show cut to commercial.

Afterward, it seemed that Abdul-Jabbar had simply been stunned. He was able to shake it off after a minute or two, and collect a score of 7.25 – tying him for second-last with Anderson. This was potentially significant, because the plan called for the two lowest-scoring divers to go into a dive-off.

Former “Baywatch” star Nicole Eggert nailed a backflip, claiming an 8.5. Stunt skier Rory Bushfield took a moment to tell the story of how his wife had died in a skiing accident. Then he ripped off a beautiful front flip. For some fans, the mix of tragedy, triumph and trivia was sheer catnip.

Now audience voting came into play. As the final minutes of the show ticked away, the hosts said that the studio audience had given Abdul-Jabbar a slight edge, meaning Anderson and Chastain would go into the dive off. But Anderson called a halt.

“You know, I really went further than I ever thought I could,” he said. “And I know I have very little chance of winning this competition. And I am going home, and I am going to defer to Brandi, because she has a chance to win this competition.”

Lawrence, sensing that this was no moment to go halfway on the melodrama, duly pronounced: “Louie, you won our hearts the first time you took a dive, tonight you have our hearts forever.”

Strange as it might be to say it, the way is now cleared for the show to get serious. Three of the five remaining divers are professional athletes, and the other two – Eggert and Bell – are focused competitors who’ve made some of the show’s most impressive dives so far. But at this point it might not be wise to take anything for granted.